Successful Executive with Family Tied to NHL’s Stanley Cup Chicago Blackhawks – Happy for Win, but Even More Grateful for His Life
Having seen the Chicago Blackhawks attain the NHL’s grandest prize, the Stanley Cup, a goal that had eluded this storied professional hockey franchise for almost half a century, Charles Norris, a successful businessman who had lead several public and private companies, and whose family at one-time owned the Blackhawks and whose name is imprinted on the Norris Division and Norris Trophy, most would think Charles Norris would be elated.
But instead of elation, Charles Norris was grateful.
The career executive and CEO of companies like Remington Rand, was grateful because he still had his life.
Charles Norris who grew up playing competitive hockey while attending the University of Pennsylvania had attacked sport and his career in a way that resulted in great success and accomplishments.
The very healthy 60+ year old Norris, who had never been to a hospital, knew something was wrong when he was attending a board meeting for one of the companies he supported and his foot which had been cut days earlier was causing him tremendous pain. Norris who had removed his shoe during the meeting was not able to place it back on his foot due to a severe infection that had caused his foot to swell.
Knowing that something was very wrong, Charles Norris was rushed to see Dr. Peter J. Millett, an elite orthopedic surgeon at The Steadman Clinic near his home in Vail, CO. When visiting with Dr. Millett, what Charles Norris believed to be a simple infection in his foot had actually spread all the way up his leg to his knee and was within hours/days of threatening his leg and life.
Scheduling an immediate emergency operation, Dr. Millett worked to save Charles Norris’ leg and life by operating on the infection to remove aggressive bacteria which endangered his left leg if not treated immediately. After several hours of surgery and continuous care to keep the leg from becoming reinfected and also to close a difficult wound that caused the original infection, Charles Norris began to see daylight. Within 90 days, he began rehabilitating his leg to regain strength, motion and his gait. Today, not only does Charles Norris have his life and leg, he has been able to resume all athletic activity and today he is back to enjoying his passion for golf.
Sure Charles Norris was ecstatic that the Chicago Blackhawks had won the Stanley Cup, but he really felt grateful that he was healthy enough to enjoy the win and most importantly alive to see it.
“What I find remarkable about Dr. Millett is the level of time and energy he took in caring for me,” said Charles Norris. “I knew that Dr. Millett was an amazing surgeon, but I was most fortunate to come to know him for his person. He was invested in me; he understood and felt my pain and apprehension. He was always there for me. I truly value what he did for me as my doctor and now my good friend.”
